Sterilizer



Patented June 24, 1 930 i LAuRITz BREDENBEBG ANDRESEN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO M.

PATTERSON nENTAL-sUPI'LY'ooMrANY, on em. PAUL, MINNESOTA,- A CORPORA- TIONOF ILLINOIS STERILIZEB Application filed September 1, 1923. Seria1 No. 6 60,609.

after use, and more particularly relates to such sterilizers having a boiler containing a heated sterilizing liquid into v'vliic'h the instruments are submerged for sterllizatlon. I

An object of this inventionis to provide a sterilizer having the boiler removably mounted therein so that it may readily be removed therefrom for cleaning or other purposes.

-A- further-objectbf the invention is to" provide a sterilizer having a perforated instrument tray mounted upon means adapted to raise and lower vertically-such tray into and out of the sterilizing liquid each time the cover is opened and closed.

A'further object is to provide a sterilizer having the heating element mounted within a heating chamber directly beneath the,

boiler thereof, such heating chamber also substantially surrounding the'efi'ective portion of the boiler and thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of the heating element. a h N V a A further objectis to providesu'ch an ap,

' paratus having a dead air space between the 'walls of the heating chamber and the walls of" the outer casing, thereby preventing cold" air from coming in direct contact with the walls of the heating chamber and also pre-', venting the outer casing walls from becomi g xcessively warm when the heating ele mentlis functioning.

fully appear from the following descrip- "tion and the accompanying" drawingaa'nd changes'may be made within the scope of fined to the exact features shownpas various the'c'laim which follows;

In the drawings:

Figure I is a view in frdnfi'elevafiiongof a sterilizer vwith the invention applied thereto and showing the cover-iii open position and the of the tank;

Figure 2 is a front view partially in seetion, showing the cover in closed position and the tray submerged in the heated liquid contained in the boiler of the sterilizer;

F igure 3 is an end elevation of opening and closing the cover; e V Flgure 41s atransverse sectlonal view on the line of Figure 2, showing the boiler within the heating chamber; and] Figure 6 is a perspective View of the boiler removed from the apparatus.

, paratus to show the means provided for perforated tray elevated out 7 In the selected embodiment of the inven I tion here shown, for'purposes of disclosure, I

there is illustrated a sterilizer comprising a metallic casing 11, having a rectangular framel2 suitably secured to the upperinner portion thereof, as shown in Figures i? and" 5. A 'cover li having a rounded or com vexed marginaledge 14, is' hing'ed to the 12 by the pivot ,pins 15; nfeni le j mentary eoncaved sea tv16 is' preferablyprd .vide din the upper face of the frame 12 and is a'daptedi'to cooperate with the rounded edge 14' of the cover to provides subsets tially' As shown in Figures 1 2am 3, the opening and closing oftlfeeover." is Conveniently eifeeted by means of a j hand lever f17- pivotally mounted upon apin' 1'8 secured to the casing: wall. A1 connectinglink 19' is piv-. otally Carissa-teats the cover by agpin 21 and depends therefromandha's' its] other st'ea-m tight joint when the cover is p close'dgi Other objects of the invention willmore end similarly" connected to the hand lever 17 bynieans of the shouldered 1111122. 'An

integral ho'ek or 111g 23':is preferably proopening-position, as shown, in full-lines in Figure 1 and in dotted lilies in Figure 3.

I vided' onthe Connecting link, 19 tofprovide astop for theha'n'd' lever17 when'm c'overhen the cover and hand lever have been thus positioned, it will be noted thahthe pivot pin 22 has passed beyond a straight line drawn through the pivot pins 18 and 21 a suflicient distance to prevent the cover from closing, the lever 17 being held against the stop lug 23 by the weight'of the cover, tending to close. The above described cover opening and closing mechanism is common construction in sterilizers inuse at the present time and therefore forms no part of the present invention.

An important feature of this invention resides in the novel construction and method of mounting the boilercontaining thesterilizing liquid. This boiler 24, shown in Figure 6, is constructed of suitable non corrodible and acid-proof metal such as Monel metal and is preferably formed from one piece of sheet metal, having all inside corners'rounded, so that it may readily'be kept clean and sanitary. An outwardly projecting flange 25, preferably inclined, is provided on the upper portion of the boiler, adapted to bear against the correspondingly inclined surface 20 of the frame 12 to sup portthe boiler when positioned within the frame, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5. By

the employment of this novel construction the boiler may readily and quickly be re moved from the sterilizer for cleaning each time it has been used, which is desirable in order that, the boiler may be kept clean and sanitary. V 1

' The means provided for'heating the sterilizing liquid to the proper temperature c011 sists preferably of an electric heating element 26, of ordinary construction, mounted Within an insulated heating chamber 27 directly beneath the boiler, as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The walls 28 and bottom 29 of the heating chamber 27 are preferably constructed of suitable fireproof material;

such as asbestos. The side andend walls preferably have their upper edges insertedin a; recess or groove 31, providedin the bottom face of the frame :12, and are secured.

thereto by means of a pair of metallic supporting members or brackets 82 secured to the frame by suitable screws 33. The bottom 29, tofwhich the heating'el'ement 26 is secured, is supported upon the horizontal,

portions of the brackets 32; i

Another important feature of this invention is the means provided for vertically raising and lowering the perforated instrument tray, in which the instruments are placed, intoand out of the sterilizing liquid contained-in the boiler 24, each. time the cover 18 is opened and closed. 'This tray 34 is sii'nilarlyconstructed of a suitable noncorrodible and acid-proof metal and is also Integral preferably integrally formed. handles or finger grips 85 are provided at each end of the tray by means of which it may readily be removed from its supchanging its position thereon.

The novel means provided for vertically raising and lowering the tray 34- 'into' and out of the boiler 24, consists preferably in the provision of a pair of gear segments 30 which are suitably secured to each end of the cover 113 as clearly shown in'Figure 4. These gear segments are in engagement with a pair of vertically mounted complementary racks 40 reciprocally mounted inbearings 38 provided in the rectangular frame 12. As shown in the drawings, the tray supporting arms'36 are pivotally connected to the upper terminal ends of the two racks lO in such a manner that, when the arms36 are in normal position, they will be positioned as shown by full lines in Figure 1. From the foregoing it willbe readily seen that, when the cover is opened, the gear segments 80, being in meshwith the vertical racks 40 will cause such raeksto be upward? ly moved in the bearings 38 with the re sultant elevating of the tray 84 out of the sterilizing liquid to the position shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5.. In like. manner, when the coveris closed the tray will be vertically lowered into the sterilizing liquid, to the position shown in Figure 2, 1n which'posi-.-

tion the tray is substantially submerged in the liquid (usually water) l i A variable heat control switch 39, of ordiat one end of the casing 11 for the purpose of controll ng the flow of electrical energy through the heating element'26 in order to increase or decrease the amount of heat gento effect efficient and thorough sterilization andv may be I readily maintained at such temperature.

. .105 nary construction, is preferably provided A small signallight 41, also of ordinary construction, is preferably mounted in thefront wall of the casing 11 adjacent its lower edge. "As shown in Figure 4, this light is electrically connectedto the heating element 26 by the usual wires 42 so that whenever the heating element isjfunctioningthe lightjvwill be illuminated 'asa warning.sig-. nal to the user that the'control switch 39 is turned on and that electricalenergy is flowing throughtheheating element.

When it is desired to remove the boiler 24 from the apparatus for cleaning or other purposes, the c0ver'13 will be opened to the position shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5. Theperforated tray 34 may then be lifted from the supporting arms 36 by means of the finger grips 35. Thearms 36 are then swung upwardly and outwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. When thus positioned the boiler 24 may readily be removed from the frame 12 by means of a pair of small hooks or instruments (not shown) in engagement with the notches 43 rovided at each end of the boiler, as s own in Figure 6. Also, by

mounting the heating element 26 within the heating chamber 27, a dead airspace is provided around the heating chamber, thereby greatly increasing the heating efficiency of the heating element as a result of the cold air not coming in direct contact with the walls of the heating chamber. This improved construction also prevents the outer casing wall 11 from becoming excessively warm when the apparataus is in use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a sterilizer, the combination of a cover thereon, rack-bars slidably mounted at opposed sides of the sterilizer, toothed means on the cover to engage each of the rack-bars whereby, upon raisin rack-bars are raised, a older for articles to be heated connected with the rack-bars, and

' heating means for the utensil.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of August, 1928.

LAURITZ BREDENBERG ANDRESEN.

of the cover, the. 

